1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an operator's compartment that is supported for independent up and down movement on the side wall of a self-propelled mine vehicle, and more particularly to an operator's compartment arranged to move upwardly and downwardly independently of the up and down movement of the vehicle as the mine vehicle moves over the uneven surface of the mine floor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Self-propelled haulage vehicles, such as shuttle cars, are used in mines for transporting dislodged material from a mining or loading machine out of the mine. The shuttle car includes a longitudinally extending compartment in which the mined material is loaded, and after loading the shuttle car moves from an area adjacent the mine face to a fixed haulage system where the coal is discharged from the shuttle car onto a conveyor belt.
The shuttle car is controlled from an operator's compartment that is rigidly secured to the side wall of the vehicle. Suitable controls are provided on the operator's compartment by which the operator controls the movement of the vehicle between the mine face and the discharge point and also operates the conveyor of the haulage compartment.
The machine operator in the operator's compartment is exposed to the mine roof and is, therefore, subject to serious injury from falling debris. It is known to utilize overhead canopies for protecting operators of various equipment in a mine from the hazard of roof falls. For a shuttle car, however, the limited overhead clearance above the operator's compartment does not permit installation of a canopy particularly when the car operates in mine seam heights of less than 40 inches. With the operator's compartment fixed on the vehicle and raised above the mine floor to provide the necessary ground clearance between the bottom of the compartment and the mine floor, there is insufficient clearance above the top of the shuttle car for the installation of an overhead protective canopy. Also, where there is little clearance between the top of the canopy and the mine roof, the canopy will strike the mine roof as the shuttle car bounces when it moves over the uneven undulating mine floor.
It is known to pivotally connect the front end portion of a canopied operator's compartment to a mining machine with the rear end portion resting on the mine floor and arranged to drag on the mine floor as the machine advances in the mine entry. When the mining machine advances in an entry, the front end of the machine tends to dip downwardly raising the rear end of the machine. With the pivotal arrangement, the compartment rear end portion remains on the mine floor so that the canopy does not strike the mine roof. The front end of the operator's compartment is, however, connected to the mining machine so that the upward and downward movement of the mining machine is transmitted to the operator's compartment through the pivot connection. The canopy may be either vertically fixed or adjustable.
There is need for positioning an operator's compartment on a mine haulage vehicle that permits installation of a protective overhead clearance for operation in seams of low height. While it has been suggested to provide operator protective canopies, the prior art devices do not compensate for mine floor conditions that reduce the overhead clearance.